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ROBERT BISSELL

Sleeping Space #2Talk to the Animals
E.S.Jones

‘Whatever happens to the beast also happens to the man. All things are connected’ Chief Seattle, Suwamish Tribe

Robert Bissell’s paintings could have been lifted from the pages of a children’s well-loved story book, but closer inspection reveals a far deeper meaning. Like animals from Aesop’s fables or Watership Down, the timeless philosophy of each subject leads us into powerful childhood memories- and the innocence of who we really are. His creatures challenge our forgotten sense of play with disarmingly Narnian wisdom; we find that the fairytale symbolism still resonates with an adult spirit.

The MarchBissell is the master of altering perspectives: one minute we are peering down on a softly whimsical scene of bears and butterflies; the next we are dwarfed by a giant rodent (with every single one of his ratty hairs glistening in high definition). Some characters are too big for their worlds; others nearly lost in the sprawling landscape. Bissell’s animals in some way hold up a mirror to our own triumphs and failings- unmasking our callings, journeys and secret desires. Although the artist’s technique is remarkably realistic, his creatures appear surreal- as though clones of each other. There is not a group of wolves, only one universal wolf repeated across the canvas. In this way, the works have the golden enchantment of a dream, provoking an out-of-body experience for the viewer.

In ancient mythology, animals carried their own symbolism, existing as omens for interpretation. A fox slinking in the shadows is a glimpse into the supernatural; a horse galloping across the field is a promise of strength and freedom. In the attempt to make sense of human existence, we are looking for moral authority- and find it in living breathing furry metaphors. Unable to fully detach, we will see certain human traits in animals long before we recognise them in ourselves. At one with their environments- and at peace with themselves- the animals reveal things hidden from human eyes. They continue to teach us about the possibility of less cluttered lives, allowing earth to connect with an uninhibited spirit

 

https://www.marylebonevillage.com/marylebone-journal/robert-bissell
Q&A: ROBERT BISSELL
The contemporary artist on childhood, nature and his first UK exhibition
Interview: Clare Finney

Why animals?
At first the natural environment was my subject matter. I was living on a farm in Oregon at the start and painting the natural world. Landscapes, really. Then gradually animals crept in. I mean literally crept in: at first a mouse, quite small, which appeared in the corner of the scene I was painting. I put him in.

When I showed the picture to friends, everyone gravitated toward the mouse. I realised that having animals in the painting was a way to draw people in and enable them to connect with the natural world. So they got bigger, and bigger still, until eventually they became the setting for the story. It made it easier to show the beauty I saw in the landscape, but it also enabled me to show the beauty I saw in humans.

People talk about anthropomorphism in my work, but I prefer to think of humans as having animal characteristics rather than the other way round. I don’t really apply human qualities to any of my paintings. I don’t even sign them: I don’t want a human element in there, it would distract from the natural world.

Why bears and rabbits in particular?
When animals started creeping into my paintings, it started with the mouse then it was a beaver, a frog, rabbits, bears and so on. I began to notice that people were always drawn to the rabbit and bear. I was curious at first, then when I thought about it I realised these are the animals we grow up with. They feature in most children’s literature and as soft toys, so they make a big impression.
They stir emotions. 

What do you think drew you toward nature in the first place?
Though I now live in San Francisco, I grew up on a farm in Somerset, so I spent a lot of time by myself in fields, crawling through hedgerows, trying to track deer or get close to the rabbits. The wild animals became like friends and I began to relate what I was experiencing to some of the stories I had read: Peter Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh, Paddington Bear.

To me, children’s literature and my experiences on the farm weren’t that different. This was formative, though would not come into play until much later. I got distracted—and attracted—by city life as a means of escaping the somewhat conservative and repressive environment of my home and boarding school. Art school, the big city and moving to the USA to work in design and advertising were a means of breaking away.

Why do you think people lose touch with nature?
It is a natural process. There are things you aspire to and want to become. In the modern world particularly I think we learn to consume. There is nothing wrong with buying, of course, but I’m not a huge consumer. I believe it is important to be aware of the fact our true nature is nature, not a circuit board. People think there are humans, and then there are animals, but in fact we are animals.
That is what I try to communicate. 

Robert Bissell in the studio

How have people responded to your work?
I’m very fortunate in the way people respond to my images: they seem to get down into people, reminding them of being young. I’ve actually been in galleries and seen people in tears. Some of my work is placed in hospitals and children’s homes and I get letters from relatives saying what a comfort it was to their relative in their last days. Then there are some people who just enjoy the fact they are fun and put a smile on their face—I like that, too.

How do you go about creating a new painting?
The landscapes are a combination of photos I’ve taken of places. For the animals I go to the zoo and take photos or just google images. I also have animal models in my studio—toys I have bought from the zoo. I can never quite get the pose I’m looking for, so I often take legs from one photograph, the head from a model and so on then sketch it together.

I try not to get too anthropomorphic about it. The idea is to get people thinking, are these animal poses or human ones? The painting of the bear diving, for example—that looks human, but it was actually modelled on a photograph of a real bear diving.

Tell us about the Hay Hill exhibition.
I will be exhibiting 12 to 15 recent paintings of my usual subject matter. I’m excited because my work has never been exhibited in London before. It’s the first time my family and school friends will be able to see my work in the UK.

 

Animals are good for thinking
Philosopher Claude Levi-Strauss

From the Invitation to Robert Bissell Exhibition in October 2019 at Chloe Gallery, San Francisco, USA

Robert Bissell is a painter of naturalism and fantasy, combined and influenced by Romanticism. While his works touch upon wonderment, they offer a convincing view into a world without ‘civilization,’ wherein the viewer is mesmerized by the power of light and the essence of natural law – yet tinged by fancy. This genre of art is sometimes called Magical Realism.

Early tribal cultures believed the natural world to be the bridge connecting earth and spirit. Animals were regarded as powerful spiritual beings that could connect humans to unseen realms, the environment, and each other. Along these lines, Robert Bissell creates works that transport us into a completely different atmosphere than that of modern daily life, inviting us to learn more about ourselves and to contemplate our origins in the natural world.

Meeting On The IceIn his animal paintings, the world of animals is a mirror for human existence, self-definition, and self-reflection. Yet, these aren’t mere children's tales. "Bissell's work disarms by narrating vitally grown-up and urgent allegories in the guise of child-like humor," counters William Zimmer, art critic for The New York Times. 

Bissell's paintings explore the idea that animals have metaphysical importance to our own spiritual well-being. Lured into a realm absent of humans, Bissell’s animal characters ask that we consider our own condition and place in nature. While whimsical at first glance, there is underlying tension and precariousness beneath the images. Disarmed, we objectively consider ourselves without familiar references. 

"His animal work is full of charged meaning and lore, and it’s touched by surrealism", says Suzanne Bellah, Director of the Carnegie Art Museum. “Influenced by the surreal legacy of Magritte, he mixes scales and uses gigantism with a variety of textures and subtle color palettes.” Indeed, Bissell keys his palette to the great landscape masters of European art Claude Lorrain and Corot (France) and Thomas Gainsborough (England).

Imaginary Realist Robert Bissell creates a completely different atmosphere from our daily experience, inviting us to learn more about ourselves. In his paintings the world of animals is a mirror for human existence, self-definition and reflection.  These are not mere children's tales - quite the contrary.  Bissell's work causes us to reflect on the environment, life, death, renewal and the stages of transition - departing from the safety of family, and making our way in the world.

Bissell grew up on a farm in Somerset, England, where animals, Celtic legends and panoramic landscapes were part of his daily life. His keen interest in visuals began at an early age, documenting life around him through photographs. He would spend hours stalking wildlife on the moors close to his house to see how close he could get before they would sense his presence. But ultimately, country life was not for him and Bissell headed for the city to study art.

After earning his bachelor’s degree at the Manchester College of Arts and Technology, Bissell moved to London for post-graduate work in fine art photography at the Royal College of Art. 

After completing his studies, Bissell spent four years traveling the world, working on cruise ships to pay his way. In 1982, after settling in San Francisco, one of his favorite ports of call he began working for The Sharper Image as photographer of its high tech merchandise.  For the next decade he moved up the corporate ladder, during what is arguably the companies most exciting time, to become head of the creative and merchandising divisions. In 1992, he left the company to start his own retail catalog company in Portland, Oregon, which was eventually sold to Readers Digest.

In 1995 he began to wonder if the long-term implications of the industry he was engaged in really fit his world-view. The catalogs he was producing wasted a great deal of paper with very little return. Trees destroyed for paper, most of which was just thrown away. The corporate world had also taken its toll.  Bissell missed art.  He decided it was time to explore the possibilities of telling people about nature and his view of it though painting. He had studied drawing in college and believed that it was simply a matter of wanting it – and teaching himself to paint.

“I had forgotten why I wanted to be an artist in the first place,” he said. “I wanted to get that back, and I am glad I did before it was too late.”

Pagans and Celtic Christians believed the natural world was the bridge that connected earth and spirit, with animals acting as spiritual intermediaries. Now, most people live in cities and suburbs, separated from that world. “Animals used to be involved with humans as messengers with magical functions,” he says. “Now they are our slaves for consumption and entertainment. I wanted to restore their role and give them a new voice.”

Since then he has devoted all this time to painting. He regularly exhibits in museums and galleries across the United States and Europe. Bissell hopes his paintings appeal to the intellectual child in us, reminding us of the mythic and universal human values in the tradition of the great heroic-quest stories. His work encourages us to reflect on nature, the roads we travel, and the choices we make along the way. His story encourages us follow our passions and have the courage to do what is meaningful to us – whatever that might be.

 

Mono No AwareThis Universe of Life
The Online Exhibition 1 -31 December 2019
Artist Statement

The environment and humans relationship to it has always been a fundamental aspect of my work and in recent years I have found myself reacting even more to the vast changes our natural world is experiencing. Looking back over the work displayed here I am aware that a narrative was being created as I painted. Beginning with Inspiration (the first painting I did in this series), the figure looks up with wonder at the waterfall, a source of creativity and imagination. In Supernova, our protagonist pays homage to the universal forces that sustain us. In The Race our elephants rejoice and play in the elements that support them and In Mono No Aware, the figure contemplates a gentle falling snow by a frozen lake as it's inhabitants swim below. How more perfect can this world be that surpasses anything humans can create? In The Mountain, our figure faces a seemingly great challenge with an overwhelming oncoming tide and in Meeting on The Ice we are presented with an enigmatic scene as we imagine polar bears travelling south in search of new habitats. Finally, the fragility of animal and human existence is presented boldly in Titan as this majestic black rhino challenges us to contemplate our own influence over the natural world.

Robert Bissell
 

The Swimmer
The Swimmer
 
The Exiles
The Exiles
 
The Accord
The Accord

Selected Recent Exhibitions

2019     Lahaina Gallery, Newport Beach
            Imaginary Realism Summer Show, Viechtach, Germany (Group show)
            Chloe Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2018     Art Of Aloha Show, Lahaina, Maui, HI
2017     Lahaina Galleries, Newport Beach, CA
2016     Lahaina Galleries, Newport Beach, CA
2015     Hay Hill Gallery, London, UK 
2014     Chloe Fine Arts, San Francisco
            Marcus Ashley Gallery, South Lake Tahoe
            Lahaina Galleries, San Francisco
            Borsini-Burr Gallery, Montara, USA
2012     Art of Aloha, Lahaina Galleries, Maui, HI
2011     Exclusive Collections Gallery, San Diego, CA
2010     Chloe Fine Arts First Anniversay Show, San Francisco, CA
            Borsini-Burr, Bissell Show & Reception, Montara, CA

PUBLISHED WORK/AWARDS: 

Spirit, The art of Robert Bissell, Spring 2019
Hero, The Paintings of Robert Bissell
, Spring 2013
Imaginaire lV, Contemporary Magic Realism, September, 2011
Imaginaire lll, Contemporary Magic Realism, September, 2010
Deamscapes, The World of Imaginary Realism, October 2007 
Cavendish Writers Compendium 2005
Southwest Art Magazine, June 2004
Un Jour A La Ferme - Pierre Coran, May 2003
Southwest Art Magazine, May 2003
Le Jardin des Peintres - Pierre Coran, Oct 2002
FLORA - by Edward Lucie-Smith, Summer, 2001
DOG - as featured in art. by Iian Zaczek, March 2000
E.D. Foundation Grant, Sept. 1999
CAT!, The Cat in Art by Andrew Edney, June 1999
Featured Artist: Commute Options Week, Bend, OR 1999
Affiliate Artist, Headlands Center for the Arts, San Francisco 1999
Portland Living Magazine, 1998
New American Paintings, 1997
The Dream Road, 1997. Paintings by Robert Bissell and short stories. 
Daily Telegraph (England) Sunday Magazine Award, 1976
British Journal of Photography Annual, 1977 

EDUCATION:
1976 Royal College of Art, London, England
MFA in Fine Art Photography
Studied with John Hedgecoe and Bill Brandt
1974 Manchester College of Art
BFA in Photography 

 

https://www.borsini-burr.com/artists/robert-bissell
Robert Bissell

You have said you don't like to talk in detail about your paintings. Why is this?
Matisse's point of view was something like this... the only valid thing in a painting is the thing that cannot be explained - the mystery of it - and to explain it is to substitute the definition for the image. I think there is a lot of truth in that. However, I do want my work to be accessible to as many people as possible so I enjoy talking about the work in a more general way.

The animals in your paintings seem to be speaking to us about human concerns and values. Why not paint humans in human situations?
Because I believe art has to disarm the viewer before it can inform. Using the "rabbit’s eye perspective" where everything is observed from an animal's point of view is a way for us to look at the world in a different way. Also, my work is concerned with the natural world and basic human essence, our natural selves - our commonality with animals.

At first glance your paintings appear so whimsical and playful and yet when one looks closer there is often a more challenging element or menacing image that makes the balance of the mood so precarious. Is this intentional? Are they metaphors for our own human dilemmas?
For a painting to be successful it has to function on a number of different levels. I want to make available layers of interpretation to coincide with a viewer's own experience. It is my goal to create depth - in both a formal, painterly way and in the intellectual reading of the piece. So in that sense I suppose the precariousness is intentional. It's really about looking at all sides of the puzzle - our dilemmas if you like - at the same time.
 

What is so fascinating to you about these animals in particular? Why so many rabbits and bears?
They are the animals many of us grew up with - teddy bears and Easter bunnies, the animals I know best and feel close to. I think also the rabbits because I was brought up in the English countryside. And the bears perhaps from spending twenty years in the West. I'm starting to study other creatures though - the Eden series was a move in a different direction.

The large animal portraits, the Eden paintings, are so formal and direct. The viewer is face to face with an animal that seems to be their equal in size. What are they about?
I'd been playing around with the idea of animal portraits for a couple of years. The problem I wanted to solve was to find a way for the viewer to look at an animal, and be looking at themselves at the same time. Creating a reflection, if you like. This idea grew out of an experience I had with a coyote where we had looked and studied each other across a short distance for what seemed like a very long time. He acted as interested in me as I was in him and I guess we learned some things about each other. Anyway, I wanted to try and re-create that experience or reflection in a painting. I realized I might solve the problem after looking at life-size French and English court portraits done by artists like Gainsborough and Boucher. They always showed their subjects in a rich landscape setting, from a low viewpoint that made the subjects appear more important than they probably were. It seemed that adopting this approach could elevate the status of the animal to that of a human, which would catch the viewer off-guard and force him or her to look at the animal differently.

What is the significance of these particular animals and where do the landscape settings come from?
I picked animals that strive to, or like to, stand up on two feet, which gives them some commonality with the viewer. The background settings are derived from Romantic era landscape painting where the intention of the artist was to idealize a view of the world in which man was in total harmony with nature. The very fact that we know this to be a false vision seemed to fit with my own intentions to elevate the animals' importance and to disarm the viewer at the same time.

Your work seems to have environmental concerns. Is this a priority for you?
Well, I want to save the world as much as the next person but my main concern is for the well-being of our inner-selves. It seems to me that it will be much easier for man to fix the huge environmental problems we are facing if we ourselves are healthy in our minds - aware of our true nature, free of some of the toxicity and attachments of modern society. I'm not suggesting we all become tree-huggers and Buddhists, but I do believe we need a re-balancing, and I hope my work will provide some weight to the side of the natural world.

There seem to be spiritual references in your work. What are the implications here? Are you a religious person?
The word religious implies dogma which I'm not interested in. I do believe in other levels of consciousness that can be accessed from within. For example, just being alone in the wilderness for a few days can provide incredible insight into one's own nature and place in the world. In that sense I am a spiritual person, a seeker on the path to a higher reality and awareness outside of my self. In certain respects wild animals are further along that path, unfettered by human-like concerns of self and ego. Of course they still have to deal with a level of suffering just like humans (sometimes at the hands of humans). I try to transmit a feeling of oneness and unity in a painting. To me it is critical my work promotes an integral understanding of our world, helps raise consciousness and transforms people’s lives.

Wait a minute - you're starting to sound like a missionary. Do you consider your work a way of talking to people, saying there is a better way?
I probably shouldn't answer this question...look, I'm not the only one trying to produce this kind of art. There are many community-based artists, people who work with prisoners and inner-city kids who are able to help others transform in a meaningful, spiritual way. Their work just doesn't fit in the world of commercial galleries. Also, there are a few sacred artists showing a connection to mystical states through their work that appeal to limited audiences. I'm trying to bridge the gap and help force the art world out of a dead-end street where the context and content of art is only about other art. Unfortunately people in western society have been told by a nihilistic art world that there is no genuine meaning in anything - so why should anyone care about art or what its role in society is?

If artists don't start talking about contemporary problems and worldly issues, providing a moral stance, high art is going to be swallowed up by a rabid pop and corporate culture. And, at the risk of sounding elitist, I'm prepared to take a stand in this effort. If the world is going to be saved, it's not going to be by politicians, corporations or religious fundamentalists - artists can help us understand the relationships between nature and humankind.

What is your involvement with animals outside of painting them?
Very little actually. It's mostly a philosophical involvement. I have helped in rehabilitating injured wild animals and birds. I grew up on a farm. When I was a kid I used to spend hours stalking herds of wild red deer near our house, trying to see how close I could get before they would sense my presence and take off. My closest was about 20 feet - those guys are just too aware. Really, I'm as separated from wild animals as we all are. I don't think any of us are very involved with them anymore. Animals used to be involved with humans as messengers with magical functions. Until the 19th century they were part of everyday life working alongside man and enjoying a symbiotic relationship. Now they are really our slaves for consumption and entertainment.

Why did you decide to paint?
Twelve years in advertising will drive you to do all kinds of crazy things. The truth is I felt I had something important to say, something others could benefit from and enjoy. Also, much as I enjoyed viewing contemporary art, it did very little for me. Most of it just seemed so introspective and wrapped up in formal concerns that meant nothing to most people, except the critics who seemed to be directing it. The whole scene seemed driven by fashion and much of it was intellectually lazy. Frankly, this pissed me off. And I didn't want to stay quiet any longer. I was fortunate enough, over the years, to save some money to turn my thoughts into paintings, full time. I had trained in photography so I had to teach myself to paint. Now after about ten years I'm beginning to understand what can be done.

Which artists do you admire or respond to?
Caspar David Friedrich for his depth of vision. Magritte - what a mind! Anselm Kiefer is, in my opinion the greatest living artist today. He transcends everyone else. Artists like Andy Goldsworthy and Nicola Hicks for their work with nature. And all the community-based artists and teachers who are making a difference.

What makes your art successful for you?
If I can take someone's breath away, even for a second or two. Take them out of themselves to a place of different awareness, somewhere quiet and beautiful.

 Bissell Booklet 2018

 


https://www.fascinationstart.com/Robert_Bissell

Imaginary Realist Robert Bissell creates a completely different atmosphere from our daily existence, inviting us to learn more about ourselves. In his paintings, the world of animals is a mirror for human existence, self-definition, and reflection. These are not mere children's tales--quite the contrary. Robert Bissell's work causes us to reflect on the environment, life, death, renewal, and the stages of transition--departing from the safety of family, and making our way in the world. Early tribal cultures believed the natural world to be the bridge connecting earth and spirit. Animals were regarded as powerful spiritual beings that could connect humans to unseen realms, the natural world, and each other.

"Bissell's work disarms by narrating vitally grown-up and urgent allegories in the guise of child-like humor," warns William Zimmer, art critic for The New York Times.

Robert Bissell's paintings explore the idea that animals have metaphysical importance to our own spiritual well-being. Lured into a realm devoid of humans, the animal characters require us to consider our own condition and place in nature. While whimsical at first glance, there is underlying tension and precariousness beneath the images. Disarmed, we objectively consider ourselves without familiar references.

"His animal work is full of charged meaning, lore and touched by surrealism", said Suzanne Bellah, Director of the Carnegie Art Museum. "Influenced by the surreal legacy of Magritte, he mixes scales and uses gigantism with a variety of textures and subtle color palettes."

Robert Bissell grew up in Somerset, England. He retains in his love of art a love of rural life, Celtic legends, and panoramic landscapes. His keen interest in visuals began at an early age, while documenting life around him through photographs. After studying graphic design and obtaining a Master's Degree from The Royal College of Art in London, Robert Bissell moved to San Francisco, where he began a successful career in retail advertising. After 15 years, he decided to devote all his time to painting. He currently lives in Northern California and regularly exhibits in museums and galleries across the United States and Europe.

 


https://www.exposuresfineart.com/art-category/artists/robert-bissell/

Robert Bissell grew up in England and retains his love of art, rural life, Celtic legends, and panoramic landscapes. His keen interest in visuals began at a young age while documenting life around him through photographs. After studying graphic design and obtaining a Masters Degree from The Royal College of Art in London, Robert moved to America and began a successful career in retail advertising. After 15 years, he decided to devote all his time to painting and sculpture.

In his amazing paintings, Bissell creates and transports us to a completely different atmosphere from modern day life and invites us to learn more about ourselves. In his work, the world of animals is a mirror for human existence, self-definition and self-reflection. Yet these are not mere children’s tales. His animals have a metaphysical importance to our own spiritual well being. Lured into a realm, devoid of humans, the animal characters make us consider our own condition and place in nature. “Bissell’s work disarms by narrating vitally grown-up and urgent allegories in the guise of child-like humor,” William Zimmer, art critic from The New York Times warns. Conjuring up something simultaneously real and unreal, these images appeal to the intellectual child in all of us.

Bissell’s work is a reflection on the environment, life, death, renewal and stages of transition. His landscapes offer no familiar frame or reference. The viewer can wander freely into the scene and consider it according to their own sensibility. These are not romantic landscapes in the traditional sense. Rather, they allow an experience of the sublime, not from what may be, but from what it is.

Robert Bissell believes his work is successful when it takes someone’s breath away, even for a second. It brings them out of themselves to a place of different awareness, somewhere quiet and beautiful.

 


https://www.picturethisgallery.com/artist/robert-bissell/
Biography of  Robert Bissell
 

Imaginary Realist Robert Bissell creates a completely different atmosphere from our daily experience, inviting us to learn more about ourselves. In his paintings the world of animals is a mirror for human existence, self-definition and reflection.  These are not mere children’s tales – quite the contrary.  Bissell’s work causes us to reflect on the environment, life, death, renewal and the stages of transition – departing from the safety of family, and making our way in the world.

Bissell grew up on a farm in Somerset, England, where animals, Celtic legends and panoramic landscapes were part of his daily life. His keen interest in visuals began at an early age, documenting life around him through photographs. He would spend hours stalking wildlife on the moors close to his house to see how close he could get before they would sense his presence. But ultimately, country life was not for him and Bissell headed for the city to study art.

After earning his bachelor’s degree at the Manchester College of Arts and Technology, Bissell moved to London for post-graduate work in fine art photography at the Royal College of Art.

After completing his studies, Bissell spent four years traveling the world, working on cruise ships to pay his way. In 1982, after settling in San Francisco, one of his favorite ports of call he began working for The Sharper Image as photographer of its high tech merchandise.  For the next decade he moved up the corporate ladder, during what is arguably the companies most exciting time, to become head of the creative and merchandising divisions. In 1992, he left the company to start his own retail catalog company in Portland, Oregon, which was eventually sold to Readers Digest.

In 1995 he began to wonder if the long-term implications of the industry he was engaged in really fit his world-view. The catalogs he was producing wasted a great deal of paper with very little return. Trees destroyed for paper, most of which was just thrown away. The corporate world had also taken its toll.  Bissell missed art.  He decided it was time to explore the possibilities of telling people about nature and his view of it though painting. He had studied drawing in college and believed that it was simply a matter of wanting it – and teaching himself to paint.

“I had forgotten why I wanted to be an artist in the first place,” he said. “I wanted to get that back, and I am glad I did before it was too late.”

Pagans and Celtic Christians believed the natural world was the bridge that connected earth and spirit, with animals acting as spiritual intermediaries. Now, most people live in cities and suburbs, separated from that world. “Animals used to be involved with humans as messengers with magical functions,” he says. “Now they are our slaves for consumption and entertainment. I wanted to restore their role and give them a new voice.”

Since then he has devoted all this time to painting. He regularly exhibits in museums and galleries across the United States and Europe. Bissell hopes his paintings appeal to the intellectual child in us, reminding us of the mythic and universal human values in the tradition of the great heroic-quest stories. His work encourages us to reflect on nature, the roads we travel, and the choices we make along the way. His story encourages us follow our passions and have the courage to do what is meaningful to us – whatever that might be.

 


https://www.pomegranate.com/arsp5.html
Robert Bissell
Artist Spotlight

As a child growing up on a farm in the English countryside, Robert Bissell immersed himself in the world of animals—the sheep, pigs, and chickens of the family farm, and the owls, rabbits, and wild red deer of the countryside. Add to his upbringing a liberal dose of literature, from The Tales of Peter Rabbit and Winnie-the-Pooh to Watership Down, and the result is Bissell’s merry mixture of imaginary realism.

Taking a cue from the Romantic period, Bissell invokes a sense of peace and harmony in his paintings with the use of soft light and contemplative animal figures in idyllic landscapes. In The Embrace, bears stand upright, looking skyward, surrounded by swirling blue butterflies.

Yet Bissell doesn’t anthropomorphize animals. Rather, he zoomorphizes people, telling the story of the human condition through animals. His creatures often look us in the eye and invite us to step into their world to see ourselves, once again, as part of nature.

“Guardians and guides of the natural world,” Bissell says, “animals challenge us to consider our place and role in a higher order.”

“Animals used to be involved with humans as messengers with magical functions,” he says. “I wanted to restore their role and give them a new voice.”

And while the child in us may be delighted with the bears and bunnies, a sense of danger, perhaps a storm brewing, pervades many of Bissell’s works. His creatures have a depth of character not found in most children’s illustration.

Hero: The Paintings of Robert Bissell (Pomegranate, 2013) follows mythologist Joseph Campbell’s archetypal hero’s journey. In Orion (January-February 2014), Scott Gast makes note of Bissell’s recurring use of bears, rabbits, frogs, and elephants looking skyward “in contemplation of some great mystery beyond the page. It’s the articulation of that mystery that seems to be Bissell’s primary concern as an artist.”

“I try to transmit a feeling of oneness and unity in a painting,” Bissell says. “To me it is critical my work promotes an integral understanding of our world, helps raise consciousness, and transforms people’s lives.”

After studying photography at the Manchester College of Art and completing a postgraduate course in fine art photography at the Royal College of Art in London, Bissell left England to work as a photographer on a cruise ship, eventually settling in San Francisco where he built a successful career in advertising. He then started his own catalog company in Portland, Oregon, but gave it up and taught himself to paint.

Bissell keeps in touch on Facebook. More about the artist can be found on his website.

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E-mail: info@hayhillgallery.com